Sitting lazily inside his messy office, the headmaster can be seen half heartedly going through his paperwork, after all such menial tasks are nothing but a chore for someone as of his stature. Nevertheless, someone has to do it.

Trivial and inconsequential reports like mages returning from a task or a store asking for approval for a resupply. Still, despite his boredom, Leonardo Da Vinci enjoys moments like this because for him, boredom is a luxury that is all too rare.

As if to signal the end of this short moment of leisure, a knock was heard from his door.

“Come in.” Leonardo said, without taking his eyes off the papers on his desk.

Shortly after, a serious looking woman in corporate attire entered the room. It was Mona Lisa, and on her hands was a brown folder containing some new reports from mages outside of Inanis Orbis.

Leonardo could already guess what was written on that folder and dropped whatever he was doing immediately to receive Mona Lisa’s delivery.

“Good day Headmaster.” Mona Lisa began with a formal sounding greeting.

“Good day to you too my dear.” To which Leonardo responded.

“These are the compiled reports from 4 different mage teams on field, including the Clearsights.” She then proceeded to hand over the folder to Leonardo.

“The Clearsights huh? So I’m guessing this is related to that one ghoul problem.” Leonardo replied as he opened the file.

“Yes, but you should read through it first. All of them stumbled onto rather peculiar circumstances.” Mona Lisa explained.

“I see..” Leonardo then began reading through the documents intently, his eyes going down the paragraphs written on the few pieces of paper.

As he went on reading, Leonardo’s face then slowly twisted into a serious frown. It seems there was more to this pest problem than he thought.

“What do you think?” Mona Lisa asked Leonardo, to which Leonardo released a deep sigh of discomfort.

“This phenomenon is surely the work of a Lich, there’s no doubt about it. You could even argue that the larger than normal ghouls are simply the result of a slightly stronger Lich.” He paused for a while, and then focused on the last few paragraphs of the report.

“But the fact that not a single soul is reported to be missing despite this case going on for quite a while now is extremely suspect.” He continued.

“Yes, given the caliber of the people investigating this we should have found more traces already. But as you have read, the Clearsights have figured out one possibility.” Mona Lisa added.

“There is more to this case than a simple Lich trying to gain some meager amount of power.” Leonardo continued.

“But there is another problem aside from that.” He then dropped the folder on top of his table and stood up.

“Our people on the field are being blocked from investigating any further.” Mona Lisa declared in a serious tone.

“Yes, it seems Mr Lich has caught the eye of our oh so holy friends and they are trying to fish him out. Or rather trying to fish out his benefactor.” Leonardo complained as he stood up.

“Come my dear.” Leonardo commanded.

“It would seem I would have to make an appointment for a confession.” Leonardo continued. “I hate red tape so much.” He declared in a serious tone.

---

Each place, each city will always hide a forgotten past. Even if those memories are lost to time, a fragment, a trace will always exist no matter how much the universe wishes it to be erased.

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Deep underneath a buzzling city, far deeper than the putrid sewers where the mice and vermin run in abundance, lay an old decrepit system of caves.

Its walls are lined with carefully etched stone and marble clearly made by the hands of men. Yet despite their best efforts, everything seems to fall victim to the destructive passage of time.

It was damp, cold, dusty, and lifeless.

Yet this place has recently been disturbed.

A figure wearing a tattered cloth obscuring its face is seen moving inside the dark and decrepit pathways, with the faint light of a small candle as its only companion to drive away the oppressive darkness.

Each step echoed endlessly inside the claustrophobic walls that seemed to close in tighter and tighter at every turn until the figure arrived at a large empty space filled with nothing but the dark.

The figure then knelt down as if in reverence, and lowered the flame of the cadle towards the floor. A tiny bit of wax to trickle down its side and land below, creating a small splatter immediately cooling down and setting the moment it touched the cold ground.

The bottom of the candle was then attached to the wax before it completely solidified, acting as an adhesive and bonding the small and frail light to the floor.

The figure then backed up a few steps and proceeded to lower itself further until its forehead touched the ground, and in a few short moments it let out a few words.

“Oh my great master, your humble servant has arrived.” A male voice came from the hooded figure.

As soon as he spoke those words, a line of light then tricked out of the candle, forming into a large circle that illuminated the room.

These lines of light then extended onto the walls and on to the roof, revealing the finer details obscured by the blanket of darkness.

A large circular room now lay in front of the hooded man in full view, the walls eroded and dead, the roof cracking from age and disrepair, and in the middle was an unmoving dry corpse sitting upon a cold stone throne.

Suddenly, the dead’s eyes opened with a crisp sound similar to dead leaves being stepped on, the dry eyelids nearly ripping itself from the sudden motion.

The eyes darted and jolted everywhere without focus until it halted abruptly, staring intensely at the visitor.

Slowly, the head began to turn, dust falling off during the motion, bones cracking as it shifted, and the dry flesh seemingly tearing like paper from within.

Finally the lips began to move and a weak raspy voice echoed throughout the room.

“Give…. mee…. your…… offering….” the voice commanded.

“Yes my master!” The hooded figure replied.

Suddenly, the figure’s body started convulsing and contorting in all the wrong ways. The body started to grow in size ripping through the obscuring clothing. Its left arm elongated and the right enlarged into a comically muscular shape.

Reddish veins can be seen pulsing and pumping blood throughout its grotesque body as the hulking beast slowly makes its way closer and closer to the stone throne in the middle of the room.

The beast once again knelt down showing respect and reverence as it stretched out its elongated left arm towards its master.

The mummified corpse on throne then stretched out its own left hand, mirroring the action of the grotesque abomination in front of him.

Suddenly a white hazy light seeped out of the monstrous figure’s body, and slowly made its way towards the hand outstretched hand like water flowing down a sink.

Soon after, the dry and dead flesh started to rejuvenate and take color. A radiant glow emmated from it showing great vitality and health.

“Ahhh… yes……” The man on the throne grunted, its once dry voice now having a hint of volume and life.

Soon, the white stream of light ended as it was completely drained from the beast causing the rejuvenating flesh and skin to return to its dry and dilapidated state.

“I….. Must… Have… More…..” The voice commanded.

“A-as you wish my dear master.” The beast replied, strangely its actions seemed fidgety and nervous.

As if sensing, the slight agitation of its minion, the man on the throne decided to ask a question.

“What… Is… Bothering….you… my… l-l-l-oyal… Ser-servant.” The man asked, struggling to even fully finish his sentence.

“M-master you see, it seems that more and more of my comrades have fallen in the last few days. Wouldn’t it be best if we lay low for a little while until you fully regain more of your power?” The monster asked meekly.

Suddenly the monster felt a tightening sensation on his neck, a grip that was slowly tightening and tightening its grasp suffocating the air from him.

“I’m so-sorry master, please forgive m-m-my insolence!” The beast struggled to reply.

With those words, the grip on his neck disappeared and could feel himself able to breath again. He then clumsily stumbled and ran out of the room not even bothering to change its form.

“I...Must… Return…. Immediately…. P-p-power… I ..must..” The man on the throne then tried to form its hand to a fist when suddenly the sound of footsteps once again echoed in the room but there seems to be a third sharp and smaller sound mixed in between each step.

The corpse immediately recognized this new visitor and turned its face in order to meet it.